Women’s clothing in ancient Rome consisted of articles made of Indian cotton or wool, in colors such as blue, yellow, red, green, and yellow. Some more specific examples included: the Sapparum (a linen garment), Subucula (a sleeveless dress), Stola (most common article of clothing), Strophium (a corset with fabric inside), and accessories such as fans, handkerchiefs, and scarves. (Cosgrove, 67)
Undergarments
Undergarments were the same as men, a loincloth tied on the sides in knots, only women wore an upper covering either under or on top of the clothes. (The Roman Empire 1)
Dyes
Because making of Dyes were not as advanced as they are in modern times, the Romans would use whatever they had. Urine was used most of the time, but mostly for those who were of a lower class. Murex Snails made a dye used a lot also, but unlike urine and snails which were easy to gather, Tryian purple was the most highly desired, uncommon, and expensive dye in the ancient world. (The Roman Empire, 1)
Haistyle
Hairstyle for women, along with jewelry, set the appearance for women. One of the most famous hairstyles is shown in the picture below. The slaves were responsible for how their master would look. They were responsible for putting the cosmetics on, and fixing the hair. Because the styles were so unusual and took much time and effort to look exact, many hairpins were used. But for some women they would put their hair in a hairnet (usually made of gold) to keep it neat without much maintenance. (McManus, 2)
Women's Jewelry
Jewelry was most commonly seen on women, and (if the woman was wealthy) in great numbers. While most of the jewelry was a luxury, because clothes were not sewn the “Fibula” was a necessity. Its most closely compared to a modern day safety fin, it was used to tighten the clothes and were decorated/engraved. Engravings were not uncommon; they included family pictures, inscriptions, and animals. Gems were used as decoration also, while pearls and emeralds were high costing, they were highly desired and if were affordable, would be put into jewelry. Jewelry included everything we have today; rings, bracelets, broaches, and necklaces. (McManus, 2)
Footwear
Footwear was different depending on wither one was inside or outside. Inside, were simple sandals. The wealthy would have these highly and elegantly decorated, while those of the lower class would wear basic leather pairs. Outside footwear was more for working than relaxing. They were leather, like sandals, but were shoes so that the worker could have a tight fit. As for non-working males-the color of their shoes determined their class. (McManus, 1)
Men's Clothing
Males mostly wore togas, but the tunic was not rare to see either (McManus 1).
Togas
Togas were only to be worn by Roman-citizen males. Anyone not a citizen or a female would be punished by law for wearing one. Underneath was a small leather tunic. The toga itself, however, is essentially a large wool blanket wrapped around the body with one free arm. Weights were added around the seems to keep the toga’s “draping” appearance. (The Roman Empire, 1)
Women's Fashion
Women’s clothing in ancient Rome consisted of articles made of Indian cotton or wool, in colors such as blue, yellow, red, green, and yellow. Some more specific examples included: the Sapparum (a linen garment), Subucula (a sleeveless dress), Stola (most common article of clothing), Strophium (a corset with fabric inside), and accessories such as fans, handkerchiefs, and scarves. (Cosgrove, 67)Undergarments
Undergarments were the same as men, a loincloth tied on the sides in knots, only women wore an upper covering either under or on top of the clothes. (The Roman Empire 1)Dyes
Because making of Dyes were not as advanced as they are in modern times, the Romans would use whatever they had. Urine was used most of the time, but mostly for those who were of a lower class. Murex Snails made a dye used a lot also, but unlike urine and snails which were easy to gather, Tryian purple was the most highly desired, uncommon, and expensive dye in the ancient world. (The Roman Empire, 1)Haistyle
Hairstyle for women, along with jewelry, set the appearance for women. One of the most famous hairstyles is shown in the picture below. The slaves were responsible for how their master would look. They were responsible for putting the cosmetics on, and fixing the hair. Because the styles were so unusual and took much time and effort to look exact, many hairpins were used. But for some women they would put their hair in a hairnet (usually made of gold) to keep it neat without much maintenance. (McManus, 2)Women's Jewelry
Jewelry was most commonly seen on women, and (if the woman was wealthy) in great numbers. While most of the jewelry was a luxury, because clothes were not sewn the “Fibula” was a necessity. Its most closely compared to a modern day safety fin, it was used to tighten the clothes and were decorated/engraved. Engravings were not uncommon; they included family pictures, inscriptions, and animals. Gems were used as decoration also, while pearls and emeralds were high costing, they were highly desired and if were affordable, would be put into jewelry. Jewelry included everything we have today; rings, bracelets, broaches, and necklaces. (McManus, 2)Footwear
Footwear was different depending on wither one was inside or outside. Inside, were simple sandals. The wealthy would have these highly and elegantly decorated, while those of the lower class would wear basic leather pairs. Outside footwear was more for working than relaxing. They were leather, like sandals, but were shoes so that the worker could have a tight fit. As for non-working males-the color of their shoes determined their class. (McManus, 1)Men's Clothing
Males mostly wore togas, but the tunic was not rare to see either (McManus 1).Togas
Togas were only to be worn by Roman-citizen males. Anyone not a citizen or a female would be punished by law for wearing one. Underneath was a small leather tunic. The toga itself, however, is essentially a large wool blanket wrapped around the body with one free arm. Weights were added around the seems to keep the toga’s “draping” appearance. (The Roman Empire, 1)Sources of Information
"Article Dress." 4 Dec 2008 http://www.roman-empire.net/society/soc-dress.html.http://www.roman-empire.net/society/soc-dress.html
Cosgrove, Bronwyn. The Complete History of Fashion and Costume. New York, New York: Checkmark books, 2000
McManus, Barbara. "Roman Clothing." 2003 4 Dec 2008
http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/clothing.html
McManus, Barbara. "Roman Clothing." 2003 4 Dec 2008
http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/clothing2.html
Images
http://www.vroma.org/images/mcmanus_images/romanjewelry2.jpghttp://www.vroma.org/images/mcmanus_images/hairpins2.jpg